Collection consists largely of information on the descendants of Edward Hand and on the Hand Family Reunion. Contains correspondence, genealogical materials, family charts, photographs, and commemorative booklet 1912, on Lancaster County in the Revolutionary War. Also, three documents concerning the settling of the Hand estate.
This collection contains ephemera related to Alice Potter Fordney, antiques dealer and rugmaker. Items in the collection include business correspondence with Armstrong, F. Schumacher & Co., and the Montclair art museum; personal correspondence with friends and family; hooked rug patterns; and antiques sale flyers from the early 20th century. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, including the obituary of Fordney's sister Ellen Franklin; reference material for rug making and interior design (informational sheets, books and patterns); several items related to the Yeates School, which Fordney's brother William Bush Fordney attended; several photographs of unidentified persons; and a statement related to the will of William J. Fordney, her uncle.
Admin/Biographical History
Alice Potter Fordney was born June 21, 1887 in Lancaster, the daughter of Ida Cox and Thomas Potter Fordney. A prominent antique dealer from the late 1920s to her retirement in 1965, Fordney also made and sold hooked rugs.
Fordney's family features prominently in Lancaster County history. Her maternal great-grandfather was John Michael, who owned the historic Grape Hotel from 1805-1839. Fordney's paternal great-grandfather William Jenkins built Wheatland in 1828 and later sold the property to President James Buchanan. Colonel William Bush Fordney, her paternal grandfather, was a prominent lawyer in Lancaster. He served as district attorney from 1839-1845 and negotiated for the loan that enabled Lancaster city to build the "water works" in the 1830s. Sarah Cox, her maternal grandmother, was a known philanthropist and for years helped to manage the Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster. Her sister, Ellen Fordney Franklin, was a "pioneer" in the industry of women's knit suits, opening her first shop in 1929 in Philadelphia.
Fordney never married. She kept in contact with her nieces and nephews, as evidenced by letters in the collection. According to notes provided by Wendell Zercher, Sarah Ellmaker McIlvaine Muench, her niece and the donor of the collection, recalled her as "warm and artistic," and "a character." She died April 17, 1973, at the age of 85.
Works Cited:
"Mrs. Franklin, pioneer of women's knit suits, dies." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 10 May 1963, p. 2.
"Accident Fatal to Mrs. Sarah A. Cox." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], no date, page unknown.
"Miss Fordney, Antique Dealer, 85, Succumbs." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 18 April 1973, p. 2.
"One of Lancaster's Most Prominent and Venerable Citizens Passes Away." Daily Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, PA], 29 July 1889, p. 1.
3 boxes, 37 folders, 333 items, 1,015 pages to scan, 4.5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
HC0001
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
Sarah McIlvaine Muench Family Papers, MS 44 at Archives and Special Collections, Shadek-Fackenthal Library, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
Related Item Notes
See photograph collection.
See curatorial collection for examples of rugs.
Fordney Family Diaries (MG0539)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Archive of Alice P. Fordney (HC0001), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
The kraft paper patterns in Folders 33-37 are restricted. Please make an appointment with the Director of Archival Services to view these items.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
G.04.23.52
Classification
HC0001
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
From the Heritage Center of Lancaster County collection, G04.23.52.
Processed and finding aid prepared by MJ, June 2018.
Collection contains correspondence, accounts, newspaper clippings, Pennsylvania and federal tax returns, stock certificate book, minute books, record books, and a receipt and payment book.
Contains records starting with the purchase of land for construction of the Northern Market in Lancaster. Includes financial documents of stockholders, minutes, lease agreements, tax returns, ledger books, bank statements, and forms. Also, some personal papers of Menno B. Hess, a member of the Board of Directors.
The work of Eleanor Fulton, a professional researcher. Contains information on the Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, including First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Donegal Presbyterian Church. Also, genealogy notes for local families and St. James Episcopal Church.
This collection contains the records of the Marshall W. Warren family, including a marriage announcement, personal notebook, correspondence, and family bible records.
This collection contains records of the Gates Dental Company, a dental equipment and supply company established in 1917. The records include by-laws, stockholders minutes, board minutes, presidents' reports, treasurers' reports, secretary's oath, real estate transactions, and correspondence.
The Mayor James H. Ross Collection documents Ross's political career from 1933-1937. James Ross, a businessman and civic leader, served as mayor of Lancaster from 1934-1938. The collection consists primarily of correspondence and a scrapbook. The letters are related to his mayoral election and responsibilities, the James H. Ross Ready to Wear Department Store, and personal matters. The scrapbook, compiled by his wife, contains information about his political career, the department store, and other local merchants, and provides a good background on the housing issues that threatened Lancaster City. The collection gives a fragmented picture of life in Lancaster in the 1930s, including commercial transactions, the Depression, religious charitable organizations, politics, and the Democratic Party.
Admin/Biographical History
James H. Ross was born in Green County, Ohio. When he was six, Ross's family moved to Monroe County, West Virginia where he attended school until he was seventeen. His family moved back to Ohio where he finished his schooling at Bowersville High School. After graduating, Ross moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and began working for M. T. Garvin & Co. Ross left M. T. Garvin & Co. in 1928 and established his own store, James H. Ross Ready to Wear Department Store, in December of that same year. James H. Ross was elected Mayor of Lancaster as a Democrat in 1934.
Please make an appointment with the Research Center staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org to view the scrapbook.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-58
Classification
MG0058
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Scrapbook, Career of James Ross, Former Merchant and Mayor, was previously housed in the Scrapbook Collection, Book 121. Scrapbook, Career of James Ross, Former Merchant and Mayor, was cataloged and preserved with funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, ME60112, 2007-2008.
The William Wright Collection contains the papers of William Wright and his descendants. The papers include wills, land drafts, inventories, releases, receipts, correspondence, genealogical information, photographs, and copies of obituaries.
(It appears there is a correlation between this Wright family and the John Wright who petitioned the Philadelphia courts for the formation of Lancaster County in 1729. Further research must be done on this link. There were several interesting envelopes containing documents in bad repair. These envelopes all had the return address of C. J. Rainear & Co., Inc, 210 N. 21st Street, Philadelphia 3, PA. One envelope has been retained with the collection. Further investigation is necessary to determine the relationship between this company, the donor and the Wright family.)
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
William Wright Collection (MG-56), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Sgt. Chester Stump Collection includes photographs, U.S. Army Certificates of Appointments, World War I soldier's handbook, Brief History of the 11th U.S. Cavalry, and military uniform decorations.
Sgt. Stump's burial flag is part of the museum collection.
Notes
Sgt. Chester Stump Collection includes photographs, U.S. Army Certificates of Appointments, World War I soldier's handbook, Brief History of the 11th U.S. Cavalry, and military uniform decorations.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-1
Classification
MG0001
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Collection was cataloged prior to 1997; added to database on 19 July 2017.
The World War I Collection contains the contents of a scrapbook assembled by an unknown WWI veteran. Included are military draft cards, photographs of Ambulance Co. No. 111, 28th Division, photographs and programs for dedication of memorial monument to Ambulance Co. No. 111, postcards of France, newspaper clippings, and posters.
MG-28 The Society of the 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces
MG-0028 The Society of the 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces
Additional Notes
The World War I Collection contains the contents of a scrapbook assembled by an unknown WWI veteran. Included are military draft cards, photographs of Ambulance Co. No. 111, 28th Division, photographs and programs for dedication of memorial monument to Ambulance Co. No. 111, postcards of France, newspaper clippings, and posters.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-45
Classification
MG0045
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged before 1997. Items have been added to the collection since 1997 and the finding aid has been revised accordingly. Added to database on 19 July 2017.
Lancaster County Almshouse and Hospital Collection
Description
The Lancaster County Almshouse and Hospital Collection is comprised of accounts, registers, minutes, and other records kept by this county department. There are birth and death records, lists of inmates, supply and payroll books, and auditors' reports, and a scrapbook of Conestoga View.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Lancaster County Almshouse and Hospital Collection (MG0277), Folder or Book #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions are noted at the item level.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Classification
MG0277
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Most of the items in this collection are part of the Lancaster County Government Records, RG 08-12. They were transferred into MG-277 in 1999 during the planning of the Almshouse and Hospital exhibition. Other items are on loan from the Edward Hand Medical Heritage Foundation or were collected by LancasterHistory.
This collection contains papers and local government records related to Black history in Lancaster County, including an index to Lancaster County's register of enslaved persons, Mayor's Register of Coloured Persons or Negro Entry Book, and a biographical account of Rev. James William Charles Pennington. There are official records for enslaved persons and their children in Lancaster County, as well as freemen within Lancaster City. The collection also contains a manumission paper from the state of Virginia, a certificate for free persons of color, and letters from anit-slavery societies.
System of Arrangement
Series 1 consists of the "Slave Registers," official county records registering enslaved women and their children after 1780.
Series 2 contains the "Mayor's Register of Coloured Persons," a manumission paper, correspondence, and other records.
1 box, 33 folders, 128 items, 1,178 pages to scan, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0240
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Related Item Notes
Black History Collection (MG0240) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/2b3d42c6-a313-4ebc-966f-516114048136
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Black History Collection (MG0240), Object ID, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL. Date accessed (day, month, year).
LancasterHistory is committed to preserving and providing access to materials chronicling Lancaster County's heritage. As a historical resource, this collection reflects the racial prejudices and actions of the era. In order to maintain the historical integrity and context of collection items, LancasterHistory does not censor historical documents or edit language, titles, or organization names when transcribing original content.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact research@lancasterhistory.org prior to visit. Restricted access for the Mayor's Register of Coloured Persons found in Series 2, Folder 2: Use transcript in Folder 3 or microfilm.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-240
Classification
MG0240
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
The collection was formerly called "The Slave Records of Lancaster County Collection." Name changed to "African American Records Collection" and arrangement changed on 13 June 2007. Name changed again in 2022 to "Black History Collection."
The Woodward Hill Cemetery Collection contains records of the cemetery from 1851-1997, such as the charter and by-laws, board minutes, lot holder records, plans, programs, financial documents, and grant proposals. The records include the names of thousands of people who were employed by, buried at, served on the cemetery board, or were otherwise associated with the cemetery.
Admin/Biographical History
For more than 150 years, Woodward Hill Cemetery has been one of Lancaster’s most significant historic sites. As the final resting place of numerous prominent citizens including President James Buchanan, with a layout reflecting Victorian ideals of landscape design and containing fine examples of funerary monuments, Woodward Hill’s national significance was recognized in 2005 when the cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Woodward Hill was the largest and most elaborate of the new rural cemeteries established in Lancaster during the mid-nineteenth century. Rural cemeteries were designed as vital open spaces or public parks for the community; they provided a place for recreation as well as veneration of the dead. As a final resting place for illustrious citizens, Woodward Hill is a “museum” of notable clergy, educators, civic leaders, and veterans. Today the cemetery occupies 32 acres and contains approximately 13,750 grave markers ranging in date from the late eighteenth century to the present day. They illustrate the 200-year evolution of funerary art, sculpture and associated symbolism. In addition to tombstones, there are numerous obelisks and mausoleums representing Victorian, neoclassical, and early modern architectural styles. Founded in 1852 by Trinity Lutheran Church, Woodward Hill Cemetery is one of Lancaster's significant historic sites. The cemetery was the largest and most elaborate of the new "rural" cemeteries established in the mid- nineteenth century. It was designed as vital open space, allowing for recreation as well as veneration of the dead. The final resting place of many notable clergy, veterans, education, civic and business leaders, Woodward Hill's best known grave site belongs to James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States http://www.woodwardhillcemetery.com/ 8/11/17
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Woodward Hill Cemetery Collection (MG0264), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Folders 11-15 contain restricted materials.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Yeates, Lancaster County Historical Society Collection
Description
Yeates, Lancaster County Historical Society Collection provides insight into the Yeates family, local social history, and details of legal business from 1743-1870. These documents have been collected by the Lancaster County Historical Society over many years. Collection includes letters, receipts, articles, eviction notice, advertisement, estate inventories, wills, deeds, treaty, court transcript, drawings, photographs, copy of house plan, post road distances, daybook, letter book, catalog of books in Jasper Yeates' library, and an alphabetical catalog of law books.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Yeates, Lancaster County Historical Society Collection (MG0205), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Restrictions noted at the item level. The letter copybooks in Folders 31 and 36 are restricted--please use the transcriptions available in the library.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-205
Classification
MG0205
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Folders 1-34 and Books 1-2 were processed and finding aid prepared prior to 1997. Added to PP on 26 March 2022.
The Yeates, Aungst Collection provides insight into the Yeates, Shippen, and Burd families, local social history, eighteenth century legal issues, and details of legal business from 1765-1810. The collection consists mainly of business correspondence and legal documents, and also includes receipts, an impression of the Burd family coat of arms, bail bonds, and a one shilling note.
Yeates, Lancaster County Historical Society Collection (MG0205)
Notes
Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Series #, Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Classification
MG0206
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Added to database on 11 August 2017.
Appraisements of real estate for inheritance tax. Some personal property appraisals are also included. Appraisals include: name of decedent; location and description of real estate; description of personal property; valuation of real estate and personal property; and assessed tax. May also include names of heirs. Arranged chronologically by year, then alphabetically by first letter of decedent's last name. Handwritten; from 1886, handwritten on printed forms.
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by year, then alphabetically by first letter of decedent's last name.
The Dodge Family Papers collection consists of materials related to the Dodge family and their various business and personal concerns. The contents of the collection include a variety of materials, including personal papers, historical memorabilia, objects, ledgers, albums, patents, and Safety Buggy Company records.
Box 1
Legal papers, Richard K. Dodge (1914-1996) & Nancy Howle Dodge (1918-2003)
Box 2
Papers of Byron G. Dodge
Box 3
Box 4
Papers of Byron G. Dodge & Arthur B. Dodge, Sr.
Box 5
Papers of the Dodge Cork Company
Box 6
Box 7
Objects Produced by and for the Dodge Cork Company
Box 8
Plaque and Account Books, G.W. Dodge & Sons, Byron G. Dodge
Box 9
Account Books and Ledgers: The Safety Buggy Company and Dodge Cork Company
This collection contains financial and legal papers of Joseph Simon, including a mortgage, his will, and a bill of exchange. There is also a 1768 letter of introduction from Thomas Barton, rector of St. James Episcopal Church to William Johnson, First Baronet.
Admin/Biographical History
Joseph Simon was a successful trader and owned enormous tracts of land in the West. As the head of one of the earliest Jewish families in Lancaster County, he was also a religious leader in Lancaster,Pa. See Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society. Volume 3, number 7 (1899), p. 165-172.
The Beechdale Duck Farm Papers contain documents pertaining to the Gibbons and Brubaker families. The folders contain history of the Beechdale Duck Farm and a pamphlet on the chicken mating at the Bird-in-Hand hatchery. There are newspaper articles commending the political content that the Gibbons' women spoke about and a note from them inviting friends to a Christmas day dinner party. There is political article defending Thaddeus Stevens and an article praising Everett E. Brubaker's accomplishments in twenty-two years of overseeing the county home.
Admin/Biographical History
The house on Beechdale Farm was built by Quakers Daniel and Hannah Gibbons in 1815. The Gibbons were abolitionists and the farm was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Their son Joseph, a doctor, and his wife Phebe, a writer, continued aiding runaway slaves until the Civil War. The house was passed down to their granddaughter Marianna and her husband, Oram D. Brubaker. Marianna was a journalist and Oram was a farmer. In order to make his sons grow up with a skill in a specialized trade, he traveled to California in 1903 with Marianna, brought back 35 Pekin ducks, and created the very successful Beechdale Duck Farm. Due to the prosperous farm, Marianna and Oram built a large stone house near the old brick house in 1909. The duck farm was sold in the 1960s.
Trophies awarded to the hatchery are in the Curatorial Collection.
The original photographs are in the Photograph Collection.
Notes
Papers are from family scrapbooks.
Folders 1-3 gift of Anne B. Tennis, given in memory of Everett E. Brubaker, 9 November 2015.
Folder 4 gift of Anne B. Tennis, given in memory of Everett E. Brubaker, 31 July 2015.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Beechdale Duck Farm Records (MG0756), Folder #, Insert #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-756
Other Number
MG-756
Classification
MG0756
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by JK, November 2016.
